John frowned out of the windscreen as he drove towards the airport
entrance, oblivious to the drama unfolding around him.
His stomach churned, he hated that he was off picking his grandma up while his little brothers were out with some maniac somewhere. Still, he knew it was important to calm Grandma down, she would be desperately worried. John only hoped Scott would make good on his word and ring him if something happened. Looking down at his phone, he was annoyed to find he had no signal.
He only hoped that it would come back as he got closer to the airport. He decided to take a short-cut to avoid the traffic, he did not need to get held up today. Swinging the car to the left, John turned down a side road, in normal circumstances he would have looked in his rear-view mirror and seen the car tailing him, but these weren't normal circumstances and John noticed neither the car or the menacing face of its driver.
Scott's mouth froze into a silent 'o'.
Virgil immediately squeezed his eyes shut, 'oh God' he murmered, his tone distraught, 'I should have gone.'
Jeff paced, his face almost as white as the curtains that adourned his living room, 'then you would have been in the same trap and that wouldn't have helped in the slightest' he snapped. Then he sighed, 'sorry Virgil.'
Virgil nodded, his acceptance.
Scott started fumbling in his pocket, and pulled out his phone, 'we have to........we have.....we.....we have to warn him.' he stammered, dialing John's mobile number.
Jeff watched his eldest's son's hands shake as he dialed and he knew this was affecting his children the same way it was affecting him. Jeff forced himself to take deep breaths as his heart beat rapidly. He'd be no good to his kids if he just keeled over from a heart attack. But truth be told, he didn't know how much more of this he could take. First Alan and Gordon and now John, this madman really knew how to make this personal.
Jeff watched Scott's frown deepen and he knew that John was not answering.
'The person you have called is not available, please leave a mess..........'
'HE'S GOT HIM I KNEW IT!' Scott yelled before hanging up the phone and laughing hysterically.
'SCOTT!' Jeff shouted, 'PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!'
Virgil watched, tearful as Scott ignored his father and continued to laugh.
'SCOTT!' Jeff shouted and then smacked his eldest across the face, hard!
Scott's head snapped back and silence echoed around the room. Virgil stared at his father, then his brother, then his father again, horrified.
Jeff immediately looked remorseful, 'Oh god Scott I'm sorry', he sobbed before sinking to his knees, 'I'm so sorry, I just can't take any more of this.'
Scott, shook his head and knelt down next to his father, pulling him into a hug.
'No dad,' he said softly, 'I needed that, you needed to do that, thanks Dad.'
When Jeff looked at him again, he said lucidly, 'I'm ok now but we have to get through to John.'
Jeff nodded, trying to pull himself back together.
'Should one of us drive out and see if we can find him at the airport?' Virgil offered, cheeks wet, eyes slightly glazed in disbelief.
Jeff shook his head, 'try him again Scott, he might just not be answering....' though Jeff knew the likelihood of his middle son not answering if he was ok, was very unlikely. 'If you still can't get through, we'll go looking for him.'
Scott nodded his agreement.
Matchstick grinned as he followed the red Thunderbird down the side-lane. This was isolated enough, he moved closer to the car, closer,closer, until he was right at the back of it.
John's phone began it's rendition of the pink panther as he continued up the side-road.
Seeing it was Scott and assuming it was news about the boys, he quickly snatched it with a hurried,
'Scott?'
Scott's voice sounded gruff and dangerous, 'Johnny, are you ok?'
'Sure,I'm fine, is there any news?'
' Where are you now?' John didn't like the edge to his eldest brother's voice and an uneasy feeling spread over him.
'Near the airport, Scott what's going on?'
'Listen to me carefully Johnny, I want you to lock your doors, turn around and come back here.'
'WHAT? But what about Grandma?'
'Look we'll send a taxi or a policman to get her, just get back here now!' Scott barked.
'Sure, but not before you tell me what the hell is going on?'
'John.......'
'Scott,tell me? What's wrong?'
Scott took a deep breath and John could have sworn that he heard his brother's voice shake, 'Um,listen we have reason to believe that the people who have Gordon and Alan.......'
'yes?'
'...........are after you.'
John tightened his hands on the wheel, 'that's crazy Scott! How would they know where I am, unless they've been watching the house?'
Scott's voice became firm, 'they haven't been watching the house ok, I'll explain everything, just get yourself back here NOW!'
John sighed, 'Scott this is stupid.........'
'JOHN!'
'Fine,' John let out an exasperated sigh, 'you want me to just turn around here?'
'Yes'.
'Ok',
John, swung the wheel to the right and then, only then did he glance in his mirror.
'What the hell..........' he shouted as a black sedan blocked the road, preventing him from completing a u-turn.
'JOHN!' Scott shouted panicked, 'WHAT IS IT?'
With all the bravado of an 18 year old, John beeped the horn angrily, muttering, 'what the hell is this guy's problem.'
'JOHN?' Scott yelled.
'Some guy's blocked the road.' John told his brother irritated, 'I tell you something Scott, if he doesn't move, I'm going to have to make him.'
'JOHN, NO!' Scott was screaming now, 'LOCK YOUR DOORS, DO NOT GO OUT THERE, REVERSE!'
'I can't reverse Scott, it's a one-way street!'
'I DON'T BLOODY CARE IF IT'S A PAVEMENT, JUST MOVE JOHN, NOW!'
John was surprised at his brother's tone, and then he realised that the car infront of him now, could be the kidnappers.
With a strength and resolve he had never felt before, he spoke seriously to his brother, watching for any sign of movement from the sedan, 'This could be our chance to find the squirts Scott' he said, determined. 'I'm going to go have a little chat with this guy!'
'OH MY GOD, YOU ARE SO NOT GOiNG TO HAVE A CHAT WITH THIS GUY!' Scott shouted.
John's head snapped up, 'yes I am.'
'JOHN YOU CAN'T, HE'S PROBABLY ARMED, WHAT'S YOUR WEAPON? A SPARKLING WIT?'
John almost laughed as he heard Virgil's comment.
'John, I am telling you, ordering you not to get out of that car!' Jeff's angry voiced boomed through John's phone.
John stared at the sedan, a worried expression crossing his face, 'doesn't look like I'm going to have to Dad.'
'What?' Jeff bellowed.
'he's getting out of the car.'
John felt the stunned and appalled silence at the other end of his phone grip his heart. He watched the balaclava-clad man, clutching a large, dangerous looking wrench, walking briskly towards the thunderbird.
'Oh man you picked the wrong Tracy to mess with.' John cracked as the man brought the wrench down against his windscreen and glass shattered around him.
Jeff,Virgil and Scott, heard the sound of shattering glass, and then the line went dead.
They stared at each other for what must have only been seconds, but felt like a lifetime, before Virgil screamed, 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!'
Scott ran onto the balcony
and Jeff rushed to the kitchen sink
and promptly threw up.
WELL COULD THINGS GET ANY WORSE?
WILL MATCHSTICK LEARN HE HAS INDEED MESSED WITH THE WRONG TRACY?
WILL JOHN BE KILLED BY THE GLASS?
WILL SCOTT JUMP FROM THE BALCONY?
WILL ANYONE EVER PICK UP POOR GRANDMA?
FIND OUT IN THE NEXT PART OF 'NEXT STOP: DANGER' COMING SOON!
His stomach churned, he hated that he was off picking his grandma up while his little brothers were out with some maniac somewhere. Still, he knew it was important to calm Grandma down, she would be desperately worried. John only hoped Scott would make good on his word and ring him if something happened. Looking down at his phone, he was annoyed to find he had no signal.
He only hoped that it would come back as he got closer to the airport. He decided to take a short-cut to avoid the traffic, he did not need to get held up today. Swinging the car to the left, John turned down a side road, in normal circumstances he would have looked in his rear-view mirror and seen the car tailing him, but these weren't normal circumstances and John noticed neither the car or the menacing face of its driver.
Scott's mouth froze into a silent 'o'.
Virgil immediately squeezed his eyes shut, 'oh God' he murmered, his tone distraught, 'I should have gone.'
Jeff paced, his face almost as white as the curtains that adourned his living room, 'then you would have been in the same trap and that wouldn't have helped in the slightest' he snapped. Then he sighed, 'sorry Virgil.'
Virgil nodded, his acceptance.
Scott started fumbling in his pocket, and pulled out his phone, 'we have to........we have.....we.....we have to warn him.' he stammered, dialing John's mobile number.
Jeff watched his eldest's son's hands shake as he dialed and he knew this was affecting his children the same way it was affecting him. Jeff forced himself to take deep breaths as his heart beat rapidly. He'd be no good to his kids if he just keeled over from a heart attack. But truth be told, he didn't know how much more of this he could take. First Alan and Gordon and now John, this madman really knew how to make this personal.
Jeff watched Scott's frown deepen and he knew that John was not answering.
'The person you have called is not available, please leave a mess..........'
'HE'S GOT HIM I KNEW IT!' Scott yelled before hanging up the phone and laughing hysterically.
'SCOTT!' Jeff shouted, 'PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!'
Virgil watched, tearful as Scott ignored his father and continued to laugh.
'SCOTT!' Jeff shouted and then smacked his eldest across the face, hard!
Scott's head snapped back and silence echoed around the room. Virgil stared at his father, then his brother, then his father again, horrified.
Jeff immediately looked remorseful, 'Oh god Scott I'm sorry', he sobbed before sinking to his knees, 'I'm so sorry, I just can't take any more of this.'
Scott, shook his head and knelt down next to his father, pulling him into a hug.
'No dad,' he said softly, 'I needed that, you needed to do that, thanks Dad.'
When Jeff looked at him again, he said lucidly, 'I'm ok now but we have to get through to John.'
Jeff nodded, trying to pull himself back together.
'Should one of us drive out and see if we can find him at the airport?' Virgil offered, cheeks wet, eyes slightly glazed in disbelief.
Jeff shook his head, 'try him again Scott, he might just not be answering....' though Jeff knew the likelihood of his middle son not answering if he was ok, was very unlikely. 'If you still can't get through, we'll go looking for him.'
Scott nodded his agreement.
Matchstick grinned as he followed the red Thunderbird down the side-lane. This was isolated enough, he moved closer to the car, closer,closer, until he was right at the back of it.
John's phone began it's rendition of the pink panther as he continued up the side-road.
Seeing it was Scott and assuming it was news about the boys, he quickly snatched it with a hurried,
'Scott?'
Scott's voice sounded gruff and dangerous, 'Johnny, are you ok?'
'Sure,I'm fine, is there any news?'
' Where are you now?' John didn't like the edge to his eldest brother's voice and an uneasy feeling spread over him.
'Near the airport, Scott what's going on?'
'Listen to me carefully Johnny, I want you to lock your doors, turn around and come back here.'
'WHAT? But what about Grandma?'
'Look we'll send a taxi or a policman to get her, just get back here now!' Scott barked.
'Sure, but not before you tell me what the hell is going on?'
'John.......'
'Scott,tell me? What's wrong?'
Scott took a deep breath and John could have sworn that he heard his brother's voice shake, 'Um,listen we have reason to believe that the people who have Gordon and Alan.......'
'yes?'
'...........are after you.'
John tightened his hands on the wheel, 'that's crazy Scott! How would they know where I am, unless they've been watching the house?'
Scott's voice became firm, 'they haven't been watching the house ok, I'll explain everything, just get yourself back here NOW!'
John sighed, 'Scott this is stupid.........'
'JOHN!'
'Fine,' John let out an exasperated sigh, 'you want me to just turn around here?'
'Yes'.
'Ok',
John, swung the wheel to the right and then, only then did he glance in his mirror.
'What the hell..........' he shouted as a black sedan blocked the road, preventing him from completing a u-turn.
'JOHN!' Scott shouted panicked, 'WHAT IS IT?'
With all the bravado of an 18 year old, John beeped the horn angrily, muttering, 'what the hell is this guy's problem.'
'JOHN?' Scott yelled.
'Some guy's blocked the road.' John told his brother irritated, 'I tell you something Scott, if he doesn't move, I'm going to have to make him.'
'JOHN, NO!' Scott was screaming now, 'LOCK YOUR DOORS, DO NOT GO OUT THERE, REVERSE!'
'I can't reverse Scott, it's a one-way street!'
'I DON'T BLOODY CARE IF IT'S A PAVEMENT, JUST MOVE JOHN, NOW!'
John was surprised at his brother's tone, and then he realised that the car infront of him now, could be the kidnappers.
With a strength and resolve he had never felt before, he spoke seriously to his brother, watching for any sign of movement from the sedan, 'This could be our chance to find the squirts Scott' he said, determined. 'I'm going to go have a little chat with this guy!'
'OH MY GOD, YOU ARE SO NOT GOiNG TO HAVE A CHAT WITH THIS GUY!' Scott shouted.
John's head snapped up, 'yes I am.'
'JOHN YOU CAN'T, HE'S PROBABLY ARMED, WHAT'S YOUR WEAPON? A SPARKLING WIT?'
John almost laughed as he heard Virgil's comment.
'John, I am telling you, ordering you not to get out of that car!' Jeff's angry voiced boomed through John's phone.
John stared at the sedan, a worried expression crossing his face, 'doesn't look like I'm going to have to Dad.'
'What?' Jeff bellowed.
'he's getting out of the car.'
John felt the stunned and appalled silence at the other end of his phone grip his heart. He watched the balaclava-clad man, clutching a large, dangerous looking wrench, walking briskly towards the thunderbird.
'Oh man you picked the wrong Tracy to mess with.' John cracked as the man brought the wrench down against his windscreen and glass shattered around him.
Jeff,Virgil and Scott, heard the sound of shattering glass, and then the line went dead.
They stared at each other for what must have only been seconds, but felt like a lifetime, before Virgil screamed, 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!'
Scott ran onto the balcony
and Jeff rushed to the kitchen sink
and promptly threw up.
WELL COULD THINGS GET ANY WORSE?
WILL MATCHSTICK LEARN HE HAS INDEED MESSED WITH THE WRONG TRACY?
WILL JOHN BE KILLED BY THE GLASS?
WILL SCOTT JUMP FROM THE BALCONY?
WILL ANYONE EVER PICK UP POOR GRANDMA?
FIND OUT IN THE NEXT PART OF 'NEXT STOP: DANGER' COMING SOON!